In his first address to the nation Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that tax holiday would be enforced throughout the country, to
create congenial atmosphere for free industrialization. The Prime
Minister said that his government would also transfer nationalised sick
industrial units to the private sector, which were not only an
impediment in the way of free industrialization in the country, but also
a burden on the national exchequer. It was ironical, he said, that these
sick units were eating away billions of rupees of public money.

He wished that even the defence equipment should also be produced
by the private sector, leaving aside only sensitive material. Pakistani
industrialists, he said, were capable of producing everything within the
country. If private companies of other countries would produce defence
material for Pakistan why this could not be done by the Pakistani
industrialists themselves, he asked.

Nawaz Sharif also announced that the domestic and foreign
entrepreneurs, setting up new industrial units in the country would be
given complete tax holiday, with the condition that they would take
responsibility of the health and education of the workers and their
children. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the present oppressive
economic system would be changed under which millions of people in the
country were groaning. He said that this cruel system would be replaced
by the economic system of Islam based on justice which could bring
happiness on the face of the common man. He said it was his faith that
so long as happiness and prosperity was not reflected from the face of a
common man, the face of Pakistan could never glow with happiness.

Nawaz Sharif made it clear that the enforcement of Islamic
principles would practically be implemented. He said that Zakat and Ushr
would be utilised in fulfilling the needs of the deserving persons and
for the education of the children. He said that the government was bound
by constitution as well to enforce Islamic laws. He said he was
mentioning those bright and golden principles of Islamic Shariah which
could bring equality and create equal opportunities for the society and
the priciples which could eliminate the poverty and ignorance.

About the industrial sector, the Prime Minister said, his
government intended to lay foundations of an industrial revolution.
"The corner stone of this policy will be that each factory,
firstly, gives the peasants who produces the raw material and the
labourers their due remuneration". He said, the investors would be
duly encouraged. "The foremost gift for them is, freedom. The
cumbersome bureaucratic hurdles and processes are being done away with.
The necessary infrastructure requirements will be made available - a
crash programme about which will be announced and implemented shortly.
Industries are not established through formulation of policies alone,
they entail certain basic requirements. The industries are not set up
without bare facilities of roads, water, electricity, telephone, air
linkage and raw material - my government will do everything possible to
extend these basic civil amenities, so as to expedite pace of
industrialization", he added.

"The only demand I shall make of the industrialists is - come
upto the expectations of the nation", Nawaz Sharif said. the
foremost priority, in respect of industrialization, would be so that
only such industries would be preferred as were agro-oriented. These
industrial units would be established only in and around such belts
which produce necessary raw materials. Such a step would also benefit
the local population gain profitable employment opportunities, while the
peasant would be able to earn due return for his produce. Hence, the
rural population could be able to get affiliated in nation building
task, and become prosperous. On the other hand, civic amenities would
reach the rural areas, which would stop trend of rural migration towards
the cities.

The Prime Minister said he was fully aware of the magnitude of
varied common problems. He said, it was unfortunate that majority of the
people were unable to pursue their academic pursuits, mainly due to
poverty, "while those getting education somehow, are faced with the
dragon of unemployment' he said. This, he said, led to a vicious
circle ending in a sense of denial and unbearable frustration. He also
referred to the evil of drug addition which had snatched a bread earner
from its dependents. "We cannot let our valuable, national wealth
the youth destroy itself, due to the rampant social evil of drug abuse,
he asserted. In this regard, he declared, his government ws committed to
eliminating narcotics and take steps to rehabilitate the drug-addicts.
He said, a positive leap forward, in this context, would be to revive
the shattered self-confidence of the drug-addicts. On the other hand,
merit alone would be the qualification for admissions in higher
educational institutions, while those deserving and qualified alone
would be inducted into government service, he announced. The Prime
Minister said, deserving and orphans, however, would have special
quotas, in respect of admissions to educational institutions and
service. Nawaz Sharif said welfare of the youth will be part of his
future policies. "They will be imparted different vocational
trainings and granted loans to enable them to start their own business.

Price Hike

Nawaz Sharif assured the nation that his government would strive
hard to protect the poor masses from the current worldwide wave of price
hike, especially on essential items. He said that he had started
examining various proposals in this regard. He, however, categorically
said that every endeavour would be made not to allow increase in the
prices of atta, vanaspatighee, cereals, pulses and cotton cloth. Nawaz
Sharif said that Pakistan had been plunged into a difficult phase due to
the Gulf crisis, as she had to bear an additional burden of two billion
dollars (Rs. 40 billion). Besides, there are problems of rehabilitation of Pakistanis uprooted from there and the worldwide prices of oil had
also doubled. Pakistan was also not safe from its impact, he said. He
said that it was the increase in the prices of oil, due to which the
nation would be confronted with a new wave of general price hike.

He asserted that the present government had no hand in this
situation. Pakistan had also become victim of this vicious wave, which
could not be blunted. Efforts, however, could be made to save the poor
people from it, he said, assuring the people that his government would
take all necessary steps to do that. The Prime Minister said that
Pakistan had talented experts, whose knowledge and services would now be
utilized for the benefit of the poor. It was unfortunate, he said, that
the advantage of their services had henceforth accrued to the well-to-do
people. He said these experts would recommend to the government as to
how the poor people could spare of the current wave of price spiral and
how the affluent classes of society could be further burdened to meet
the budgetary deficits, so that the poor could be fed, and clothed.

The Prime Minister said that these were the immediate measures to
obviate the impact of the price hike. The real diagnosis and solution to
this problem would have to be done by undertaking the task of national
reconstruction and progress. He said that he proposed to do some
emergency planning in this regard. Mr. Nawaz Sharif, however, declared
that historically, the hour of decision had struck, and the nation had
to decide once for all, whether it desired to live as a self-respecting
people, like free and sovereign nation, or it wanted to roam about the
world with begging bowl. He said the present government strongly felt
that the only course open before the nation was the course of
self-reliance, that was the course of self-respect, he said, adding
nations and individuals had to render sacrifices for their self-respect.
He, therefore, urged the people of Pakistan to inculcate spirit of
simplicity, austerity and hard work, to achieve this cherished goal of
self-reliance. Nawaz Sharif said he would not like to paint rosy
pictures as the coming days would be of trials, tribulations and
perseverance. He asked the nation to be ready for them.

The Prime Minister said that those, who led lavish and extravagant
lives, at the cost of their younger generations' future, were
selfish. He had firm faith in and commitment to the future generations
and his government would therefore, never resort to anything which would
amount to bartering away the future of the younger generations, he said,
adding "we will lead an austere life at the present, so that the
future of the coming generations may be glorious and prosperous".
He emphasized that the paucity of resources did not mean that the nation
should become vagrant. "We will expand our resources, as a
self-respecting nation and turn the future of our future generations
prosperous and glorious", he said.

PHOTO : Nawaz Sharif

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